Cracks
by Moche
Summary: Yusei is setting out to get into the city, but why is he so determined to see Jack again? One-shot. Implied Yusei/Jack, one-sided Yusei -- Jack.


Yusei lifted his arm over his head to shield his eyes from the harsh light that shone through the cracks in the road above him. They had always been there, reminders of the destruction of the past. But Yusei stayed focused on the ground as he walked through the old subway—it was too difficult for his eyes to look at the light during this time in the afternoon.

The boy arrived at his destination, the platform-turned-hangout where he could be with his friends and do as he pleased, and try to forget the world above him. But that was nearly impossible for Yusei. Above him people were suffering; living in Satellite wasn't easy. And above the tunnel, across the water, there was a better life; there was a friend.

Yusei hadn't told his friends all of what happened that day, only what they needed to know. Jack took his D-Wheel and his card and left. It wasn't a lie, it just wasn't the complete story. He didn't tell them why, though really he didn't entirely understand himself. But he knew Jack had been honest with him. He knew Jack valued him enough not to lie.

Yusei shook his head. It was crazy, but he had to go. He had to see Jack again. Even if nothing came of it, he couldn't bring himself to let go of what they had. Although it began to fall apart even before Jack stole from him and took off, if they had been friends once, they could be friends again. Yusei was sure of the bond they shared, and he wouldn't give up on it.

Yusei looked around to find he was alone. The group probably had other things to do, but Yusei didn't mind much. He liked having time to himself. The silence was rare, and it was nice not having eyes on him.

He took a seat on their old green sofa, and his eyes wandered over to the table in front of him. It was just a board placed over some old tires, but it did its job. Screws and playing cards were scattered around on it, probably left from Rally and himself the night before. Rally habitually came to visit when Yusei was working on his new D-Wheel, and the older boy was more than happy to play games with the younger to break the monotony. Yusei brushed the small pieces away to one corner and cleared a spot to place his laptop. He'd been trying to stop, but he couldn't help his curiosity, and he figured it didn't do any real harm.

Often when he was alone, Yusei would pass the time watching videos of Jack's latest duels as King. They were easy to find, usually exciting, and Jack always won. He studied them carefully, but Yusei had known Jack's dueling style and deck for a long time, finding that wasn't his reason. He was looking for cracks in the mighty King's composure, hoping that maybe once he would see a glimpse of his old friend through the façade he presented to the audience. Yusei was confident that his friend was still in there, but he wanted to see. He wanted to see just once. It had been so long.

There was always an interview after each match, and it was the same every time. Jack would spout nonsense, proclaim himself to be the best, belittle his opponent and declare that he was ready for more challenges. Yusei stared at the screen intently and blocked out his words, just focused on the sound of Jack's voice and his familiar features. His voice was deep, smooth. Jack's forehead glistened with sweat after the hot ride, and his hair sparkled under the lights. Yusei took a deep breath and remembered why he was trying not to watch these anymore.

It was hard to be so far away. Yusei couldn't help but wonder if maybe he had been a little more open, a little more assertive, perhaps it could have worked out differently. If he went to Jack, tried to work things out, maybe his friend wouldn't have gone. But Yusei tried not to live in the past. He couldn't change it, and if he wanted to fix things, he would have to move forward.

Though it was painful to look into eyes that couldn't look back, Yusei didn't turn away. Soon Jack would be gazing right back, Yusei assured himself. He would wrap his arms around Jack and pull him close, feel him and embrace him. Jack would smile and their lips would meet, softly at first, but passion would quickly overwhelm them, and they would give in to their desires. If it happened before, it could happen again.

Yusei told the others he would go to see Jack when his D-Wheel was complete, and they vehemently objected to the idea. They wanted to know his reasons, and Yusei didn't lie; he just didn't tell them. Yusei understood why they disliked Jack, and didn't believe they would understand why he still loved him.

It had grown dark. The light from the screen lit Yusei's face in a cold blue, but he didn't notice the transition. He was fixated on Jack, lost in dangerous and wonderful thought and memory, until a friendly voice brought him back to reality.

"Yusei?"

He quickly closed his laptop, but did so casually as not to seem suspicious.

"Rally?" Yusei called back, getting to his feet.

"Why are you here in the dark? I almost tripped down the stairs," Rally complained as he stumbled around looking for the light switch. The two boys winced in the sudden bright light. They stood before each other, and Rally waited a few moments for an answer from Yusei, but soon realized he wasn't getting one. "Are you working on the D-Wheel?"

"I was just about to start," Yusei replied, a soft smile gracing his lips. "Are you going to help?"

"Yep!" Rally answered cheerfully as he hopped over to the table, where he began to gather up his deck of playing cards. "But first I want to try out a new card trick I learned."

Yusei nodded and returned to his seat on the sofa in front of Rally. The younger boy held out a fan of cards facedown to Yusei. "Pick one," he instructed, looking deep in thought. Yusei grabbed one from the middle of the fan and took a quick look at it, sure not to let Rally see. It was the eight of clubs. Yusei noted it and placed it back in the deck. "Are you really going to sneak into the city, Yusei?"

Bewilderment swept over Yusei for a moment at the sudden change of topic.

"Yes."

"But… that's dangerous. If I ever tried to do something like that you'd stop me for sure," Rally said concernedly. Yusei looked up at the younger boy and smiled softly.

"Sometimes things are worth the risk." Yusei spoke gently, and placed a reassuring hand on Rally's shoulder. He could see the distress in his eyes, and he didn't want to make him worry more.

"Do you really hate Jack that much?"

Yusei stiffened and looked away.

"I don't hate him."

Rally's worried expression gave way to a small, hesitant smile.

"Good." Yusei looked at Rally expectantly for a long, uneasy moment. The boy stared back at him curiously, not understanding what Yusei wanted from him. When it was clear that Rally wasn't going to realize anytime soon, Yusei finally motioned to the cards in Rally's hand. "OH!" Rally furrowed his brow and cautiously picked a card from the deck, then held it up, face to Yusei. "Is this your card?"

Yusei's expression became unreadable to the redhead. And a quiet, insecure sound escaped the older boy's throat.

"Yes," he replied softly, reaching for the card. Rally surrendered it without thought, then took a step back and turned to look towards Yusei's D-Wheel.

"Great! Now it's D-Wheel time," Rally said as he ran to the work in progress.

Yusei smiled to himself as he got to his feet. Warm thoughts and determination overcame him, and he slipped the card into his back pocket before following his young friend.

He hadn't picked it, but the Jack of hearts was definitely his card.


End file.
